Winter Slip & Fall Accidents

New York is known for its treacherous wet walkways and black ice patches during winter months. Unfortunately, many winter slip and fall accidents don’t merely result in sprains and bruises. Victims are likely to suffer significant injuries, causing them prolonged pain and suffering, mounting medical bills, and loss of productive work. But you have legal options if this happens to you, and our team of slip and fall lawyers can help.

Expert Legal Support for Slip and Fall Injuries

You require strong legal guidance if you or a loved one suffered a slip and fall accident because of the negligence of a property owner. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff have the necessary skills, experience, and resources for preparing a strong case that gets you the compensation you deserve. We are fully prepared to have your case settled through negotiations with the best possible outcome or, if necessary, take it to trial.

Common Slip and Fall Areas in NYC

A large number of slip and fall injuries take place on icy and wet surfaces. This is especially common in New York City where injuries in winter may occur because of hazardous weather conditions or unsafe surfaces within or outside business locations. These areas may include:

Icy pavement or sidewalk outside business entrances
Wet or slippery floors in restaurant seating areas, grocery store aisles, and other heavily trafficked surfaces
Icy pavement at bus stops that cause people leaving or boarding a bus to slip

Property Owners/Controllers

People or entities owning, leasing, occupying, or in control of a property are responsible for maintaining the premises in a reasonable manner. In general, property managers or owners responsible for creating dangerous conditions that lead to another person suffering from injuries are held liable in personal injury lawsuits.

Proper Removal of Snow

In addition, the snow or ice should be removed in a manner that doesn’t make the condition more hazardous. For instance, the property manager or owner should not leave the pile of snow in a corner of the parking lot after clearing. The snow may melt and refreeze at night to form the highly dangerous ‘black ice’.

Property Managers

The property manager or owner may also face liability if they knew or should have reasonably known about the unsafe condition and failed at having it fixed. In such a case, you would have to establish the duration for which the dangerous condition existed. You would also need to establish that the property manager or owner had a reasonable amount of time for discovering and addressing the dangerous condition.

The property manager or owner is responsible for removing accumulated ice or snow from walking areas after a storm. They are liable for clearing sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways within a reasonable time period once the storm ends.

New York City Administrative Code § 16-123

Property owners and managers under New York City Administrative Code § 16-123 are responsible for removing snow and ice from sidewalks adjoining their property within 4 hours of a storm. However, it’s critical to note that the four-hour window is not applicable between 9 pm and 7 am.

In case the snow and ice have frozen hard and cannot be removed without damaging the pavement, the property manager or owner have the duty to spread sand, ash, sawdust, or a similarly suitable material to clean the sidewalk. This should be done as soon as snow stops falling.

Fault Determination in Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall cases in New York are largely based on determining negligence or fault. Businesses or government entities can be held responsible for the accident if:

Hazards causing the injuries fell under their responsibility
Government or business employee had enough opportunity for clearing the hazard
Government or business employee did not warn about the hazard or clear it up in time

For example, a business with an icy entrance in the morning after a winter storm cannot be held liable if the slip and fall victim approached the door before store business hours. However, they can claim compensation if the store opened its doors for business and failed to inform customers about icy conditions right outside the premises.

Victims of slip and fall accidents can acquire compensation for their injuries with the help of an experienced NYC personal injury attorney.

Fighting to Recover Compensation for Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

The slip and fall lawyers at the Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff are here to help you recover compensation for your slip and fall injuries, no matter if big or small.

These are a few serious injuries suffered by New York slip and fall accident victims:

Spinal cord injuries
Head injuries
Concussions
Back injuries

Brain injuries
Broken hips
Broken bones
Catastrophic injuries

Paralysis
Neck injuries
Soft tissue damage
Wrongful death

Give us a call today if you were injured in a slip and fall accident for protecting your rights and getting strong legal representation.

Call New York’s Trusted Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers For Help Today

You only get a limited amount of time for pursuing compensation following a New York slip and fall accident. The statute of limitations is between 30 days to 3 years. You risk losing out on getting compensated for your injuries if you delay making a move.

Top-rated accident attorney Michael S. Lamonsoff with his team will fight relentlessly to help you secure the highest compensatory awards possible. Give us a call at 212-962-1020 or use our online form to get started with a free and confidential consultation.